This initiative could counteract the impact of the U.S. solar tariffs

Plenty of actual and digital ink has been spilled about the anticipated fallout from the Trump administration's new solar tariffs, including price hikes for future projects. What this all means for corporate energy teams interested in procuring more renewable and clean power is still very much up in air — and no one is willing to speculate on the record so far — but the Rocky Mountain Institute has wasted no time spinning up an initiative meant to counteract potential cost increases. The goal of the effort is simple: to encourage the design of more modular, standardized and preassembled products that can be installed more quickly and cost-effectively — ultimately at an installed price as low as 50 cents per watt. That includes panels, inverters and racks. The proponents believe this approach could help cut costs by 20 cents per watt peak over the next 12 months. That repre...